Texas BWEF reminds growers to keep fields clean of regrowth
Dec 19, 2002 12:00 PM
Texas Boll Weevil Eradication Foundation officials want to remind Upper Coastal Bend cotton growers of the importance of keeping their harvested fields free of cotton plants.
Most growers shred their stalks and plow their fields after harvest, but regrowth can and often does occur. If these plants begin producing squares, they become places where weevils can feed and reproduce, said Charles Allen, program director.
“We understand that removing or killing these scattered plants is often difficult and costly,” Allen said. “But doing this is critical to the success of boll weevil eradication.
“Fields with cotton plants in them will produce weevils.”
These fields will have to be treated, which adds unnecessary costs to the program.
Allen emphasized that “destruction” means the removal of any plant that may be growing in a field.
“Biologically, the line is very clear. If cotton plants remain in a field, that field can produce boll weevils and will require treatment.,”
The Texas Boll Weevil Eradication Foundation is a nonprofit, grower-initiated and funded organization dedicated to eliminating the cotton boll weevil from the state in the most cost-effective and environmentally responsible manner possible.
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